The present invention relates to computer telephony. More specifically, the present invention relates to enhanced auto attendant methods and apparatus.
Auto attendant is a term used in the telephony industry to describe the functions of automatically processing incoming telephone calls. Most people are familiar with auto attendant functionality, for example, when calling a credit card company or a bank, callers are often greeted by an auto attendant.
The auto attendant typically presents the caller with a menu of options and instructs the caller to depress particular keys on their telephone to select those options. For example, the auto attendant may instruct the caller to press “1” for sales, “2” for customer service, “3” to enter an extension, “0” to reach a live attendant (or operator), and the like. In response to the menu, the caller typically presses a key corresponding to the option desired, and the auto attendant performs that option. For example, the auto attendant will connect the caller to a particular extension, or groups of extensions, will connect the caller to a voice mail system, and the like. Auto attendants are typically factory configured or configured by the management information systems (MIS) departments.
Menus of selections available to callers are also found in voice mail systems. As is well known, voice mail systems typically provide callers with menus and sub-menus of actions to take depending upon the caller pressing keys on their telephone. For example, a typical top-level voice mail menu structure may instruct the caller to press “1” to leave a message, “2” to review messages, “3” to change greetings and options, “O” to reach an operator, and the like. In response to the menu, the caller typically presses a key corresponding to the option desired, and the voice mail system performs that option. For example, the voice mail system will begin recording a message from the caller, the voice mail system will enter a configuration menu and list the actions provided, and the like. Similar to auto attendants, voice mail systems are typically factory configured or configured by the management information systems (MIS) departments.
A drawback to current auto attendants and voice mail systems includes that the menu selections and menu actions cannot be personalized for each telephone extension owner. As described above, typical auto attendants are only provided for incoming telephone calls, for example, when calling a company. Auto attendants have not been provided for individual telephone extension owners nor configurable by individual owners. With regards to voice mail systems, owners can record different greeting messages, however, owners of voice mail boxes cannot configure the menu of options available for callers, or the like.
Thus what is needed in the industry are methods and apparatus for providing owner configurable auto attendant functionality for individual telephone extension owners.